Boxers, Angola, Louisiana 22 - 1999

Deborah Luster made this photograph, "Boxers, Angola, Louisiana," using an antique process involving light-sensitive chemicals on a metal plate. The surface has these cool yellow tones, and the whole image feels worn, like an old memory. I can imagine Luster in Angola, maybe feeling like an outsider, looking for a way to connect with these young men. There's a kind of tension between the two boxers. You can almost feel the heat and weight of those belts they're wearing, symbols of their struggle, their sweat. That dark background really pushes them forward. It's like she's saying, "Look at these guys, look at their faces, their bodies, their lives." It reminds me of Dawoud Bey's portraits, that same commitment to seeing and honoring people. Photography is painting with light, but it’s also about painting a portrait of society. Luster gets it, as did Bey. Artists are always talking to each other through their work.